Saturday, February 4, 2012

There was not a star in sight, they were instead blanketed by thick clouds that sprawled throughout the harsh winter sky. As I gazed above, contemplating today’s events, it pained me to relive the defining moment of our country to this very day. Our twisted capitalistic system had failed us once and for all, and while our charismatic leader promised brighter days to come, you’d have to be a rube not to see through his yarn of bullshit. Deception had become a thing to expect in this era.

I carried my briefcase down the stairwell and into the flock of people awaiting the subway to take them to whatever personal hell awaited them. To consider what I have as a gift would be disrespectful to anybody it affected in my lifetime. It’s a terrible thing to endure, really. After four seconds of consistent eye contact with any given person, I am given their past, present and future. I know what will happen today, tomorrow, next week, all the way until the day that they die. Most of the time the flashes move so quickly, I cannot quite comprehend all of it but I always walk away with something.

That is not to say that everybody I encounter has a dreadful end awaiting them. Hell, just last week I locked eyes with an elderly man that would win the lottery yesterday. Unfortunately, the initial shock of his numbers matching would lead to his death. The winning ticket would prove to be a source of evil for his remaining loved ones who would inevitably squabble over the earnings and create a media shit storm that would put a pretty penny in all of their pockets. The worst part about this situation (and many others like it) was that these people had forgotten what life was all about.. love. A financial crisis can bring out the worst in everyone if you’re not well off to begin with but who would trade it all for sudden wealth?

I locked eyes with a mid 30’s business type as he gave me a quick head nod to acknowledge me. He looked interesting enough, so I shot back a wave and planted the seed in his mind that we may have known each other. As he came to get a closer look he told me I must be mistaken and went on his way. Little did he know, I got exactly what I needed. I peered into his future, but instead of brief flashes, I was shown a long, drawn out process.

Not much changed content wise, his death was shown in graphic detail. As I went through this vision of mine in my head, I quickly realized what was different this time. Never before have I stepped in and forced my own will upon fate, but seeing his children and wife sob while identifying his mangled corpse, I simply could not live with myself if I had done nothing at all.

I forced my way through the droves of people in the subway station in order to seek him out before he met his ultimate demise. Pushing through the flock of humanity, I spotted him weaving through a group of elderly folks. He came to a stop, presumably to wait for the train that would prove to be the culprit of his death. My vision spoke to me quite clearly, he would lose his balance in front of the oncoming train and end his days as a bloody mess.

This didn’t seem fair to me. I had to do something. For once in my life, I could use this curse as a gift. Use it to prevent a death rather just sit idly by and watch it unfold. I’m certain that the fact that his wife and children would be on board the harbinger of his finale had a bit to do with my decision to intervene.

He leaned against a nearby wall. I approached him but his reaction was not what I expected. The man raised his voice and asked me what I wanted from him. Maybe it was the beard that I allowed to get out of control that made him think I was a crazy person, which in reality I am, but that was besides the point. I was trying to save his life and all he could do was show how unappreciative he really was. Did he even care about his family? What would he do with a second chance at life? I questioned whether it would be worth it to test what his destiny had planned for him.

I scampered away with my head hanging low and took a seat at the far east wall. The rattling of the tracks echoed throughout the structure. I rose up and walked towards the tracks. My mind was made, I knew what I must do. I walked towards the people waiting for the train, and eventually passed them by.

I climbed down onto the tracks of the train. The light approaching, tears rolled down my face. My last thoughts would be riddled with all of the people I had allowed to be taken away. What I was given was in fact a gift, I just did not know how to put it to use.